Animal actuated drinking valve

ABSTRACT

An animal actuated drinking valve having a tubular body member encasing an actuating pin with a rear flange portion which is urged forwardly by an elongate resilient biasing member to create a releasable liquid-tight seal with an O-ring in the tubular body member. In use, an animal nudges the protruding actuating stem portion of the pin causing the rear flange portion to unseat from the O-ring allowing water to flow through the valve.

United States Patent Lang 1451 Oct. 17, 1972 ANIMAL ACTUATED DRINKING2,270,838 1/1942 Langdon ..l37/2l7 VALVE 3,263,652 8/1966 Nakajima et a]..1 l9/72.5 [72] Inventor: Ronald A.Lang,Madison,wis 3,550,560 12/1970Edstrom ..1l9/72.5 [73] Assignee: Waters Mfg. Co., Inc., Madison,Primary Examiner-Henry T. Klinksiek Wis. Attorney-Joseph G. Werner,Theodore J. Long, John [22] Filed: March 8 1971 M. Wmter and James A.Kemmeter [2i] Appl. No.: 122,032 [57] ABSTRACT An animal actuateddrinking valve having a tubular 52 US. Cl ..2s1/303, 137/010. 4, 119/725body member ehcasing an actuating p with a rear 51 1m. 01. ..A01k 7/00,F16k 51/00 flange Portion which is urged forwardly by an elongate [58]Field f Search 251/303, 137/217, DIG 4; resilient biasing member tocreate a releasable liquid 119/725 75 tight seal with an O-ring in thetubular body member. In use, an animal nudges the protruding actuating[56] References Cited stem portion of the pin causing the rear flangeportion to unseat from the O-ring allowing water to flow UNITED STATESPATENTS through the valve- 3,582,006 6/1971 Thompson ..25 l/303 1 Claim,6 Drawing Figures I I l6 l7 [8b l9b I9 I 8 o A ANIMAL ACTUATED DRINKINGVALVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention pertains generally to a valve for controlling the flow ofliquids and more particularly to'an animal actuated drinking valve forproviding liquids to caged animals under low fluid pressure.

2. Description of the Prior Art Research laboratories utilize largenumbers of experimental animals isolated in individual cages forobservation and experimentation. These animals are frequently small suchas guinea pigs, rabbits, monkeys, rats and the like. Such animalsrequire water several times a day, yet they are highly susceptible todrowning even by relatively small quantities of water.

Since water cannot safely be stored within the animals cages it must beprovided externally in a quantity sufficient to sustain the animalswithout allowing an accumulation large enough to drown them. It isimpractical, if not impossible to provide this water by hand. Resort hasbeen made, therefore, to animal actuated drinking valves.

Early animal actuated drinking valves relied upon steel springs tomaintain a liquid tight seal so as to prevent water leakage. However,the steel springs would eventually corrode and become inoperative. Therewas, therefore, danger of unknowingly depriving the animals of .water orworse yet, of drowning them due to failure of spring to properly sealthe water supply.

Later art such as the U.S. Patent to Allen No. 3,507,255 reveals thatnonmetallic devices have also been utilized to secure a water tightseal. While the Allen valve may not be subject to corrosion, it dependson a substantially axial inward movement of the actuating pin forrelease of water which makes it more difficult for the animal to actuatethan a valve that can be unseated by tipping the actuating stern such asin the U.S. Patent to Alter No. 3,128,745. The Alter valve has nobiasing member at all but is closed by water pressure and is therefore,prone to leakage, especially at low water pressures. Leakage alone hasbeen found to create danger of drowning research animals in solid bottomcages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Because the accidental drowning of a few ofthese animals might negate months or even years of continuous research,I have invented a new and improved animal actuated drinking valve whichis simple in construction, faithful in response, and one that will notcorrode or leak so as to endanger the lives of research animals.

My unique construction combines the preferred features of a valve thatcan be opened by tipping of the actuating pin and one that is tightlysealed against leakage by a resilient biasing member.

Sealing Sealing engagement within the drinking valve is made between anO-ring and the rear flange portion of a pin having a forwardly disposedactuating stem protruding slightly from the body member of the valve. Anelongate non-corrosive resilient biasing member maintains a constant andequalized force on the rear flange portion of the actuating pin toassure a positive sealing force even at low liquid pressures, i.e., no

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minimum liquid pressure is required for assistance in sealing.

The actuating stern portion is sufficiently smaller in cross sectionthan that portion of the passageway through which it extends so that ananimal may impart sufficient lateral tilting thereto to tip the sealingflange to open the valve and thus obtain water.

The resilient biasing member has a reduced diameter forward portionwhich is readily laterally deflectable so that the resilient closingforce exerted axially forward against the sealing flange of theactuating pin by the biasing member is turned aside by the tiltingaction of the pin to permit the heretofore unachieved combined featuresof easy opening and tight sealing.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been selected for exemplification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a valveassembly exemplifying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the valve assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the valve assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. I.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3, similar to FIG.4, showing the valve in open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughoutthe several views, my animal actuated drinking valve is shown generallyat 10in FIGS. 1-6.

The housing of the valve 10 comprises a tubular body member 11 ofstainless steel having an externally threaded rear portion 12 and ahexagonal middle portion 13 for gripping with a wrench. A longitudinalpassageway 14 contains an annular flanged portion 14a circumscribing therear opening of the passageway 14. The flanged portion 14a has adiameter somewhat smaller than that of the passageway 14. A reducedfront portion 15 of the passageway 14 forms and annular shoulder 16.

A rubber-compound O-ring 17 is seated against the annular shoulder 16. Apin 18, preferably of stainless steel, has an actuating stem 18aextending forwardly through the O-ring 17 and the reduced front portion15 of the passageway 14. The flange portion 18b of the pin 18 issubstantially flat and circular in shape and is'positioned rearwardly ofthe O-ring 17 for sealing engagement thereagainst as shown in FIGS. 4and 5.

An elongate resilient silicone rubber biasing member 19 is positioned inthe passageway 14 rearwardly of the pin 18. The main body portion 19a ofthe biasing member 19 is generally rectangular in shape and engages theinside surface of the tubular body member 1 l to position the biasingmember 19 centrally within the passageway 14. The rear surface 19c ofthe biasing member 19 is engaged against the annular flanged projection14a circumscribing the passageway for maintaining the biasing memberagainst displacement.

it should be noted that the biasing member 19 has a cross-sectional areaeverywhere within the passageway 14 smaller than that of the passageway14 in order to provide a flow path alongside the biasing member.

A reduced forward portion 19b of the biasing member 19 is cylindrical inshape and engages the rear surface of the sealing flange 18b of pin 18and normally urges the flange into liquidtight sealing engagement withthe O-ring 17. The diameter of portion 19b is substantially smaller thanthat portion of the passageway through which it extends to permitdeflection as shown in FIG. 6.

The resilient force of the biasing member 19 provides a constantpressure on the sealing flange portion 18b of the pin 18. This force issufficient to maintain a constant liquid-tight seal without dependenceupon any minimum water pressure. It was found that the drinking valve 10using a silicone rubber biasing member 19 will operate effectively overa pressure range between -30 psi, but a constant pressure between 5-10psi is considered the best range.

Ease of activating the drinking valve by the animal has not beensacrificed by the positive sealing feature since the actuating stern 18aof the pin 18 has only to be gently nudged in any direction for goodwater flow. As best shown in FIG. 6, slight lateral tilting of theactuating stem 18a by the animal causes the flange 18b to be tipped awayfrom the O-ring 17. Moreover since the biasing member 19 has an elongatenarrowed forward portion 19b which is easily flexed to the side, theresilient force directed forwardly against pin 18 is easily turned asideby this same tipping motion of the pin In operation, therefore, theanimal has only to nudge the actuating stem 18a in any direction andsealing flange 18b will unseat by tipping away from the O-ring l7 and agood liquid flow will be obtained. When the animal releases theactuating stem 18a the biasing member 19 will cause the pin 18 to returnto its normal closed position.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described,but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope ofthe following claims.

lclaim: I

1. An animal actuated drinking valve for providing liquids to cagedanimals comprising:

a. A unitary tubular body member having a longitudinal passagewaytherethrough with a reduced portion forming a rearwardly facing shoulderwithin said passageway,

. an O-ring of resilient material seating against said shoulder,

c. a pin having an actuating stem portion and rear flange portion, saidrear flange portion positioned rearwardly of said O-ring for sealingengagement thereagainst, said stem portion extending through said O-ringand the reduced portion of said tubular body member, said stem portionbeing sufficiently smaller in cross-section than the reduced portion ofsait l tubular bod membento permit sufficient latera tilting of san stemportion herein to unseat a portion of said flange from said O-ring,

d. an elongate biasing member of resilient material positioned in saidpassageway rearwardly of said pin, said resilient biasing member havinga main body portion engaging the inside surface of the tubular bodymember to position said biasing member centrally within said passagewayand having a laterally deflectable reduced forward portion engaging therear flange portion of said pin and normally urging said flange portioninto liquidtight sealing engagement with said O-ring, at least a portionof said biasing member being spaced from the inside surface of saidtubular body member to provide a flow path along said biasing memberthrough said passageway, and

e. an inwardly directed annular flange at the rear of said tubular bodymember circumscribing said passageway and engaging the main body portionof said biasing member for maintaining said biasing member againstrearward axial displacement.

1. An animal actuated drinking valve for providing liquids to cagedanimals comprising: a. A unitary tubular body member having alongitudinal passageway therethrough with a reduced portion forming arearwardly facing shoulder within said passageway, b. an O-ring ofresilient material seating against said shoulder, c. a pin having anactuating stem portion and rear flange portion, said rear flange portionpositioned rearwardly of said O-ring for sealing engagementthereagainst, said stem portion extending through said O-ring and thereduced portion of said tubular body member, said stem portion beingsufficiently smaller in cross-section than the reduced portion of saidtubular body member to permit sufficient lateral tilting of said stemportion therein to unseat a portion of said flange from said O-ring, d.an elongate biasing member of resilient material positioned in saidpassageway rearwardly of said pin, said resilient biasing member havinga main body portion engaging the inside surface of the tubular bodymember to position said biasing member centrally within said passagewayand having a laterally deflectable reduced forward portion engaging therear flange portion of said pin and normally urging said flange portioninto liquid-tight sealing engagement with said O-ring, at least aportion of said biasing member being spaced from the inside surface ofsaid tubular body member to provide a flow path along said biasingmember through said passageway, and e. an inwardly directed annularflange at the rear of said tubular body member circumscribing saidpassageway and engaging the main body portion of said biasing member formaintaining said biasing member against rearward axial displacement.